'Unassigned teachers' need new credentials

After eliminating positions, raising class sizes and offering early retirement to veteran educators to help close its budget gap, the San Diego Unified School District has about 185 teachers who are without classroom assignments for fall.

Although the district has openings for 100 middle school and 60 special-education teachers, the “unassigned teachers” are credentialed only for elementary grades.

To fill the vacancies without having to hire additional teachers, the district is working with the teachers union on an agreement that would help train the elementary teachers for the open jobs.

The district could send teachers back to college and pay the tuition to get them credentialed for special education or middle school. As an incentive, the district may pay for teachers to earn a master's degree, something that would increase their wages. Under the arrangement still being negotiated, the teachers could receive an emergency credential that would allow them to teach while they are earning their degrees.